Dorothy
Dorothy is a comic opera in three acts with music by Alfred Cellier (1844-1891)[1], with a libretto by B.C. Stephenson (1839-1906)[2].
Contents
The original text
The story of a rake who falls in love with his own fiancée, when he meets her in disguise.
First produced at the Gaiety Theatre in London on in 1886, gradually becoming a great success. The opera toured in Britain, America and Australia and enjoyed numerous revivals until at least 1908.
Translations and adaptations
Performance history in South Africa
1890: Performed in the Exhibition Theatre, Cape Town in January by an opera company managed and directed by Edgar Perkins. The company included R.S. Gregg, E. le Hay, Dennis Coyne, Frank Wheeler, Harry Miller, Ada Bemister, Carrie Nelson, Harriet Wood, and Ella Bankhardt. Musical direction was by James Hyde.
1893: Performed as the opening production in the new Opera House, Cape Town on 31 August by the Lyric Company, with Miss Leonora Branham of the Savoy, London in the lead. Grant Fallowes, later Leonard Rayne’s business manager, was also in the show.
Sources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorothy_(opera)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Cellier
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B._C._Stephenson
D. Edwards. 1897. The Cape Town Guide. Cape Town: Maskew Miller (Digitised 2011)[3]
D.C. Boonzaier. 1923. "My playgoing days – 30 years in the history of the Cape Town stage", in SA Review, 9 March and 24 August 1923. (Reprinted in Bosman 1980: pp. 374-439.)
F.C.L. Bosman. 1980. Drama en Toneel in Suid-Afrika, Deel II, 1856-1912. Pretoria: J.L. van Schaik: pp. 389, 397-8, 412, 434
Go to ESAT Bibliography
Return to
Return to PLAYS I: Original SA plays
Return to PLAYS II: Foreign plays
Return to PLAYS III: Collections
Return to PLAYS IV: Pageants and public performances
Return to South African Festivals and Competitions
Return to The ESAT Entries
Return to Main Page